Flagler County in 2020 added 3,538 residents, after an almost equally strong gain in 2019. The gains are still less than half what they were at the peak of the county’s boom years, but they are remaking the landscape. The boomlet is reflected across other indicators–property values, the shrinking available inventory of single-family homes, and the sharp rise in permitting for new single-family homes.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
In Flagler Beach, Bank of America’s Blockish Eyesore Will Be Replaced By Vacation Rentals and Shops
The blockish and unsightly Bank of America building that sat for decades at South 3rd and State Road A1A in Flagler Beach will be renovated into the unrecognizable Ocean Club, with seven short-term rentals upstairs and clothing and gift shops downstairs.
Palm Coast Songwriters Festival Returns, Starring “Same Ole” Paul Overstreet and 30 Top Songsmiths
The Palm Coast Song Festival runs April 29-May 2 at various area venues, featuring 30 songwriters who have penned hits, including more than 125 No. 1s, for such country stars as Garth Brooks, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and many others – including George Jones and Randy Travis.
News-Journal: Joe Mullins’s Political Stunt with Constitution Is More Theatrics of Duplicity
Outlining a long list of Joe Mullins contradictions, bigotries and discrimination, the News-Journal in an editorial joins “those registering doubt of his sincerity last week, when he pushed the resolution of support for the Constitution that allowed him to unleash a flood of patriotic-sounding rhetoric in the middle of a commission meeting.”
Gaines Smith Jr. Arrested Over Bunnell Shooting Spree Targeting Two Women, With Children Present
Two Palm Coast women, ages 35 and 44, reported to police that Gaines Smith Jr. had allegedly threatened them and fired his gun, along with several other armed men, in the area of East Martin Luther King Avenue and South Moore Street in Bunnell. Children were near the women. No one was injured.
Contrary to Commissioner’s Claim, Flagler County Is Not at Herd Immunity, Health Officials Warn, Only Nearing It
Local health officials cautioned against ending covid-19 precautionary restrictions in response to a false claim by Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins that herd immunity has been reached, and that he would call for an end to restrictions at the next county commission meeting. Mullins often writes or speaks falsehoods or makes misleading statements about covid-19 and numerous other matters.
Greg Schwartz, Principal at South Daytona Elementary, is Named Tom Russell’s Replacement at FPC
Greg Schwartz, Principal at South Daytona Elementary, today was named principal at Flagler Palm Coast High School. Schwartz replaces Tom Russell, the popular and charismatic principal who’d led FPC for less than two years by the time of his death from covid last December.
CareerSource Flagler Volusia Hosts Virtual Job Fair for Healthcare Careers on April 29
CareerSource Flagler Volusia will host the Virtual Job Fair for Healthcare Careers on Thursday, April 29, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Veterans and their eligible spouses will receive priority of service and may join the event starting at 10:00 a.m. The event will be open to the general public from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Vaccines Now Exceeding Demand, Health Department’s ‘Ground Game’ Targets New Veins in Flagler Beach
As vaccine supply edges past demand and the rate of those getting vaccinated is slowing, the Flagler County Health Department is shifting strategies and making walk-in vaccines available at four Flagler Beach restaurants and later, on Sundays, at the Flagler Beach branch of the tax collector’s office.
Two Elderly Men Stranded in a Jon Boat in Intracoastal Marshes for 7 Hours Are Rescued Near Bings Landing
Two men who’d gone fishing Friday afternoon in a jon boat spent seven hours stranded after the jon boat’s engine died and they proved unable to summon a tow, finally resulting in a late night rescue by public safety agencies.